Two Nabbed In Manchester Copper Theft

Two Monmouth County men await municipal court hearings in Manchester, accused of stealing copper wire from a construction site.

Township police say that a phone tipster reported seeing two men pilfering wire from a construction site Monday night, placing it in a dark-colored pickup truck.

Officers on patrol later stopped a truck matching the description on Route 530 at Aster Place. Behind the wheel was Jesse J. Hardwick III of Asbury Park, 40, and his passenger was Jorge Nieto, 24, of Ocean Township.

Police say they spotted 40 feet of wire in the truck's rear bed and a set of wire clippers in the cab.

They were charged with theft of copper wire valued at less than $500 and released on criminal summonses. Hardwick's 1995 Ford F-150 was impounded for further investigation.